Sheet-piling



(No Model.)

J. A. WAKEFIELD.

SHEET FILING.

Patented Sept, 20, 1887 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES A. \VAKEFIELD, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SHEET-PILING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 370,108, datedSeptember 20, 1887.

Application filed July 14, 1887. Serial No. 244,248. (No model.)

Illinois, have invented new and useful Im" provements in SheetPiling forDams, Levees,

, Piers, and other Engineering Purposes, of

which the following is a specification, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, illustrating the invention, in which- Figure l isan end elevation of the framework of a dam, with an edge view of myimproved sheet-piling in position to be driven down into the bed of thewater. Fig. 2 is a perspective representation of four sections of myimproved piling in position relatively as they are when driven, exceptthe right-hand section, which is in position to be driven. Fig. 3 is aside elevation of one section of piling; Fig. 4, a top or plan view ofFig. 3.

The purpose of this invention is to provide a sheet-piling which willprevent water from getting through it or under it.

It has been the custom to construct sheetpiling of several thicknessesof plank, with the intention of setting them so closely together as toprevent water from getting under or through such piling and breakingdown the dam or earth-shore; but thus to drive sheetpiling has beenfound to be an engineering impossibility, as experienced by Governmentofficers and others equally skilled. The theory that one row of plankscan be driven to lie so closely to a previously-driven row of plank asto exclude water remains a theory unsupported by practice. Attempts havebeen made to drive a sheet-piling of tongued and grooved solid stuff;but this proved to be a failure, in that the tongues and grooves couldnot be available without cutting away to form them threc-sevenths of thelumber.

My sheet-piling is practically tongued and grooved; but it differsmaterially from any piling heretofore employed, in that the planks ofwhich it is constructed are all of one size, and that each tongue andeach groove has a depth of one-half of the main faces of the sections.As an example, take three planks of equal widthstwelve inches, forinstance-and place one plank between the others so that it shall projectlaterally from the said two pieces to the same distance that it extendsin between them, and then the three planks are secured together by boltsor rivets. Such a construction is shown at Figs. 2 and 3, A A being theface planks of the sections, and D the planks which are bolted at Jbetween them to form a sixinch tongue on one edge of a section and asix-inch groove, E, on the other edge of a section, whereby asheetpiling is of three thicknesses of plank.

The first section of piling to be driven has its lower sides chamfercdon a lateral angle, as shown at B, and all the sections which areafterward to be driven are, in addition to the chamfer B, chamferededgewisc, as shown at O. This latter chamfer causes one section ofpiling to draw snugly to the others previously driven and form a barrierof sheetpiling which is absolutely water-proof as against the washingaway of the shore-earth or bed of a dam. (Shown at F G H.) The water-bedis shown at I and the water at M, the latter being expected to rise andflow over the higher part of the dam G F. At Fig. 1 one section in edgeview is shown in position as started to be driven, a cap, L, beingplaced on the top thereof, as is the custom, to prevent piling frombeing shattered during the act of driving. The piling is to be driven tothe point N, or cutoff on a level with that portion of the dam shown atF, and secured to the latter part by suitable bolts or spikes.

In practice I prefer that two or more sections be driven alternatelydown after the first section is driven, as a speedier method, and onewhich will insure the more nearly perfect parallelogram surface or faceto the work being done.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent Asheet-pilingcomposed of three thicknesses of plank secured together by bolts orrivets, so that the middle plank shall project out at one edge of asection at a distance corresponding to the depth of the groove E,whereby when several sections are driven down the edges of the exteriorplank, A, and the inner planks, D, will respectively come together andform awall of sheet-piling of three thicknesses of plank, securely heldtogether, and the joints centrally broken, as and for the purposespecified.

JAMES A. \VAKEFIELD.

Witnesses:

G. L. OHAPIN, ANNA D. J OHNSON.

